After an injury lay-off of six months, Tonderai Chavhanga is confident he will be available for Vodacom Super 14 selection next weekend.

Speaking to keo.co,za, the one-cap Springbok said that he has begun running again, and expects to sprint soon.

“I should be available for the game against the Highlanders,” Chavhanga said. “Obviously this hasn’t been an easy period for me, but I’m through it now and extremely excited to start playing again.

The lay-off has afforded Chavhanga the opportunity to bulk up his upper body and strengthen his legs during an intensive rehab program.

“I’m a better athlete because of this. When you are injured, the one advantage is you get to spend a lot of time in the gym. So once I get through this last stage of rehab, I’m confident I’ll emerge in better shape than I’ve ever been in.”

Chavhanga’s return should coincide with Marius Joubert’s, who failed a fitness test on Monday when he tweaked his ankle. The injury is not believed to be serious and Joubert should return to full training following tomorrow’s encounter with the Brumbies.